A Picnic Basket by Resident Chef Jesse Gold

I asked the Brooklyn resident and musician to whip up some seasonal snacks and dishes alike for your summer time picnic basket! Hit up Prospect Park, McCarren Park or whatever outdoor space is most bikeable. Whether your flying solo, impressing a group or courting a new prospect this basket is sure to wow. From a sassy sangria down to a filling bowl of quinoa these snacks are a treat!

A Quick Salad with Tasty Dressing:

Arugula salad with pickled turnips, kalamata olives, red wine vinaigrette

2- 3 bunches arugula
1 cup pickled turnips, sliced into rounds
1/2 cup kalamato olives, halved

Red Wine Vinaigrette:

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
pepper to taste

A Yummy Side:

Herbed Quinoa, Walnut, Sour Cherry Pilaf

1 cup quinoa
1 3/4 cups boiling water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, parsley, or chives, chopped
1/2 cup walnuts, rough chop
1 cup sour cherries, pitted and halved
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste

A light but flavorful grain salad with some protein- Sour cherries are in season right now, look for them at the food co-op or farmers market! Or stop by Ortines backyard to see them growing on our magnificent cherry tree! This recipe is pretty straight forward- just cook the quinoa, let it cool, and combine the ingredients.

Crostini and your choice of Topping!:

Crisp Crostini:

1/2 loaf French or Italian bread
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees, slice bread into 1/2 inch thick slices. On a baking sheet, brush bread with olive oil and salt, covering both sides of the bread. Bake until crisp and evenly lightly brown, about 10 to 20 minutes, turning often.

Your choice of Roasted Cherry tomato and goat cheese OR Smoked trout and onions with dijon dressing

Roasted Cherry Tomato, Fresh Basil, and Goat Cheese

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
4 tablespoons goat cheese
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 325 degrees and roast the cherry tomatoes for 10 minutes or so, and let cool. Combine cherry tomatoes, basil, goat cheese, olive oil, and seasoning in a bowl.

OR

Smoked Trout, Tomato, and Pickled Onion Salad with Dijon Vinaigrette

2 filets smoked trout, rough chopped
2 large tomatoes, small dice
1/2 cup pickled onions, rough chopped
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, rough chopped

Dijon Vinaigrette:

1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoon dijon mustard
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste

Chop trout, tomatoes, pickled onions, and parsely, and combine with dijon vinaigrette.

A QUICK HOW TO:

Some of the recipes call for pickled ingredients! You can buy pre-pickled or try it yourself! It's easy!

Pickled Onions:

3 large red onions
2 cups apple cider vinegar
3 cups filtered water
2 tbs. salt
1 ts. black pepper corns
3 bay leaves

Peel the red onions and slice them into thin rounds.

In a large pot, bring apple cider vinegar, water, salt, bay leaf, and pepper to a boil. Take off heat, add onions, and let cool, then refrigerate.

Pickled Turnips:

3 bunches fresh turnips
2 cups apple cider vinegar
3 cups filtered water
2 tbs. salt
1 tablespoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 bay leaves
1 teaspoon black pepper corns

Wash turnips and slice them into thin rounds.

In a large pot, bring apple cider vinegar, water, salt, mustard powder, red pepper flakes, bay leaves, and peppercorns to a boil. Take off heat, add sliced turnips, and let cool, then refrigerate

A Cocktail for All!:

Apple Lemon Ginger Sake Sangria

3 apples, peeled and small diced
two 2-3 inch ginger roots, pulsed through the food processor
two tablespoons lemon juice
1 cup apple juice
1/2 cup sake
1 bottle pinot grigio or other light white wine

This is an extremely refreshing and light drink- perfect for a picnic! I like to use a tart, crisp apple for this recipe, like a crispin or honeycrisp. Peel and dice the apples into small cubes and put in a bowl. Take the pureed ginger root by the handful and squeeze the juice out of it onto the apples. Add lemon juice, apple juice, and sake and let it sit for a while in the refrigerator before adding a bottle of pinot grigio or other white wine. Put it into a thermos and your ready to take it to the park!

Local chef and musician Jesse Gold has been cooking for almost an entire lifetime. The Brooklyn resident has established some local celebrity with band Balls to the Wall and a pretty savory cooking gig at locally owned and operated Ortine in Prospect Heights. A sturdy bike, a flare for the fabulous, and a penchant for cooking make it obvious Jessie is going places.